


Hesitation

by ScientistSalarian



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-24 22:59:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13821270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScientistSalarian/pseuds/ScientistSalarian
Summary: This is a 5+1 drabble. Five times that Kandros wanted to kiss Ryder but didn't, and the one time he did.





	Hesitation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [savbakk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/savbakk/gifts).



He had never kissed a human before. He had actually never kissed anyone before, come to think of it. He had watched more than enough human entertainment to understand what an important display of affection it was and he found himself terrified that he was going to botch their first kiss and ruin everything.

The first moment he could have kissed her of course was when she’d first arrived at the small coffee shop on Eos. She was dressed in her usual Initiative apparel and he was secretly pleased that she hadn’t gotten dressed up for him. He’d worn his regular armor but he’s worried that perhaps he should have gone for something a bit more special. He wondered if all people starting an inter-species romance were so prone to fiddling over every minor detail. Luckily when she walked in she had embraced him warmly, which immediately put him at ease but the thought was still looming in the recesses of his mind. He felt it was too soon for such a thing though and he wasn’t entirely sure he could pull off a quick kiss on the cheek as an answer to her greeting.

It was the first time he’d been out since coming to Andromeda, but he refrained from making the tired joke, “Can you believe it’s been 600 years since I last had a date?” Despite worrying over whether or not his sense of humor was on par with her quick wit, their conversation seemed to flow effortlessly. It was when they both reached in to grab a napkin that he wondered if he should have just kissed her then. They’d bumped heads only slightly but it was enough to make them both giggle. It was almost like something out of what humans referred to as “rom-coms”. But alas, he’d let his second attempt pass him by as he sat there overthinking his dilemma.

When they’d left the coffee shop they decided to take a stroll through the now bustling settlement that was Prodromos. He found himself in awe that this person, this small human person, had been responsible for getting everything back on track with the Initiative. He felt a swelling sense of pride within him as they walked together and people waved as they passed. People who saw him with the human Pathfinder, walking hand in hand. It all made him feel a fair bit younger than his years to have the giddy excitement at simply feeling someone’s fingertips intertwined with his own. Perhaps if he’d been so inclined he could have turned to her and kissed her then, just as they stood atop the observation deck of one of the research buildings. But alas, he wasn’t sure he really wanted an audience in case their first kiss ended in disaster. His third moment was but a passing thought that seemed to float off into the desert sky.

They’d decided to go for a ride in the Nomad so she could show him the Remnant monoliths. He’d been fascinated by the things since he’d first heard about them and he’d been excited to finally see one in person. What he hadn’t been prepared for was just how reckless her driving was. He wondered if this was perhaps his final moment to kiss her before she managed to drive them off a cliff, heralding their certain deaths. If he screwed it up, at least he wouldn’t have to live with the embarrassment for very long. He was slightly appalled at his own macabre internal monologue, but he did wonder if that really would have been the best time to take a chance. They were alone at the very least! His fourth moment too seemed to slip away as she’d somehow managed to get them to the monolith with only a few minor bumps and bruises. He’d made a mental note to be the one to drive back to Prodromos though. He wasn’t about to risk it again. He also made a mental note to look up whether or not she’d ever actually possessed a driver's license in the Milky Way.

Climbing the monoliths without the use of jump-jets. Why had he agreed to her challenge again? He struggled trying to haul himself up and he cursed himself for not wearing regular clothes. His armor was weighing him down far more than he’d imagined it would. She taunted him from across the way as she had managed to shimmy herself about a third of the way up her pylon. He struggled to get further up before finally sliding down to admit defeat. Perhaps this would have been the perfect time to give her a congratulatory kiss. Before he could act though, she’d slid down her pylon and motioned for him to join her at the small terminal in the center of the monoliths.

She placed her hand on the console and suddenly the ground opened up beneath them. He braced himself for a fall that never came. Instead he felt himself becoming weightless as he hovered in the gravity well. Her body gilded alongside his and the two of them coasted gently to the floor. As they landed she lost her footing and fell face first against his chest. He’d instinctively reached out to steady her but found himself wrapping his arms around her. She looked up at him with her deep blue eyes and suddenly everything just felt right. He leaned down and let his mouth brush against hers. He was surprised at how soft her lips felt against him. He loved the way her breath and her skin felt warm as she pressed herself to him. He closed his eyes taking in every sensation the moment offered to him. Her fingers gently stroked his neck and her tongue brushed against his. He cupped her face in his hands and gently brushed his talons across the apples of her cheeks. When they broke off their kiss they still held onto one another, each looking satisfied with themselves. He didn’t have a single doubt left in his mind, he simply knew that he wanted to kiss her over and over again.


End file.
